CEO gives year-end report at annual business meeting

The past year was a one filled with accomplishments, growth and compassionate care for Ozarks Medical Center (OMC). That was the message provided by OMC President and CEO David Zechman at the health care organization’s annual business meeting, held April 15 at the Parkway Center Classroom.

“This past year was an exciting one as the entire OMC team worked tirelessly to meet difficult financial challenges while continuing to provide the most compassionate, high quality care possible to the people of the region,” Zechman said. “We are proud to say the people at OMC rose to the challenge and made a big impact on the lives of patients and the community as a whole.”

Successful year

Among the biggest accomplishments of the year was the expansion of orthopaedic surgery coverage to 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week. In 2009, OMC also took steps towards implementing round-the-clock interventional cardiology services, which began in February 2010. Interventional procedures include using an angioplasty balloon and/or a stent to open clogged heart vessels that cause heart attacks.

“These expansions of services allow OMC to better serve the people of the area and provide the care they need here locally,” Zechman said. “In the case of interventional cardiology, the expansion of these services will mean lives saved as the sooner that a blockage of heart blood vessels can be opened, the greater the chance of the patient’s survival.”

The growth in services at OMC was aided by great success in recruiting 14 highly-trained physicians with specialties that include orthopaedics, family practice, nephrology, general surgery, radiation oncology, psychiatry and interventional cardiology.

50 years of service
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In 2009, OMC recognized a major milestone as the health care organization celebrated its 50th year of service. The celebration included a ribbon cutting in March and a community event in May.

“We greatly appreciated the outpouring of community support during OMC’s 50th year of service,” Zechman said. “We are looking forward to being the best place to give and receive care for the next 50 years and beyond.”

Zechman said looking to the future, 2010 is shaping up to be a great year for OMC and the community. According to Zechman, OMC will celebrate its new state-of-the-art, 16-bed Emergency Department with a grand opening celebration on July 18, 2010.

“Great things are on the horizon for 2010 in spite of the constant challenges of health care,” Zechman said. “We greatly appreciated the outpouring of community support during 2009. With the continued support, we are looking forward to being the best place to give and receive care for the next 50 years and beyond.”

OMC data

Also at the annual business meeting, Zechman presented volume numbers and information for 2009. OMC is a regional referral system that includes a 114-bed hospital and 18 area rural health and specialty care clinics. OMC employees approximately 1,100 employees and has more than 100 physicians on its medical staff. Each year, OMC provides care for hundreds of thousands of people in its 11-county service area in Missouri and Arkansas.

In 2009, OMC experienced the following volumes:

• 5,147 admissions
• 715 births
• 20,627 Emergency Department visits
• 826 inpatient surgeries
• 1,423 outpatient surgeries
• 15,282 Riverways Home Health visits
• 79,265 visits by Riverways aides
• 14,388 Riverways Hospice visits
• 198,900 Behavioral Healthcare Clinic visits
• 132,407 Physician clinic visits
• 104,331 Rehabilitation Services procedures

OMC also provided a great deal of community benefit in 2009, including providing screenings and community classes for more than 1,800 individuals and providing $4.8 million in charity care. And, OMC awarded a total of $61,362 in scholarship and tuition reimbursements to a total of 38 future health care providers, including physicians.

In addition to providing health care, OMC makes a large impact on the regional economy. The organization paid $40.8 million in annual wages to more than 1,100 employees in 2009.

Board of Directors

OMC is led by a 15-member, volunteer board made up of physicians and dedicated community members.

At the annual meeting, OMC recognized Dr. Alex Watson and Dr. Jason Spurling, whose terms on the Board of Directors expired in December 2009. Dr. Raymond Lewandowski and Dr. Rick Holloway were previously elected to represent the medical staff on the board in their places.

At the annual meeting, the following directors were re-elected to the board: Kevin Gleghorn; Roger Shaw, III, DVM; Travis Morrison; and Judy Ingalsbe.

Other OMC directors are Chairman Greg Beykirch, Vice Chairman John McCormack, MD; Treasurer Gary Duggins; Secretary Ken Joplin; Charles Morgan, MD; Christopher Nicholas, MD; Marge Slayton; Travis Smith; and Bill Wood.

For additional information regarding OMC Association membership, contact Executive Assistant to the CEO and COO Ruth Warren at 417-256-9111, ext 6061.

For more information about OMC, contact the Public Relations Department at 417-257-6735.